Catherine Laga’aia is set to star as the lead actress in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Moana, and the emerging actress has just revealed one of the most important things that she learned while making the much-anticipated movie. With anticipation high for the soon-to-be-released movie, Catherine Laga'aia shares how making Moana changed her life. The young actress who plays Moana and is the lead alongside Dwayne Johnson as Maui stated that the process of acting out the part was not just about memorizing lines and doing stunts but actually being motivated by the theme of bravery and trust that runs through the movie, which she related to her own experience.
Catherine Laga'aia Shares the Biggest Lesson From Moana
While talking about her experience in making the film, Laga'aia noted that her most important lesson was from the wisdom shared by Grandma Tala to Moana. Laga'aia elaborated that while working on the film, Director Thomas Kail always reminded the actors that Grandma Tala always believed in Moana before she believed in herself.
As an analogy to life, Laga'ai stated that people can be attracted to opportunities they do not immediately see. She further noted that accepting and taking these opportunities, and believing in the process, is something that she will carry with her even outside the film. From the actor’s point of view, grabbing every opportunity is one of the biggest lessons she has learned from production.
How Moana Became a Life-Changing Opportunity
Playing the lead role was a defining moment in Laga'aia's acting career. Born in Sydney, Australia, the actress won the much-coveted role through a worldwide audition process and the movie will turn out to be the biggest film of her acting career thus far. It is significant from the perspective of Pacific Islanders' visibility on screen too. By working on such a huge Disney movie, not only did it give her experience in big-budget movies but also the chance to play a role model that she looked up to when she was growing up.
Thomas Kail's Influence on the Cast
Laga'ai attributed the director Thomas Kail’s influence for instilling the emotional core of the story throughout the entire production process. Kail’s understanding of Grandma Tala’s absolute belief in Moana not only helped to develop the storyline of the character but also the environment of the shooting place. Instead of concentrating on purely technical issues, Kail made sure that the actors were connected to the spirit of the film – resilience, purposefulness and self-belief.
Anticipation Builds Ahead of Moana's Release
The new Disney movie entitled Moana, which is a live-action adaptation of a classic, has created a lot of buzz due to its highly-loved story material, the returning cast member Dwayne Johnson, and also the addition of Catherine Laga'aia, who is going to be the face of Moana. As the viewers get ready to watch Laga'ai's performance on the big screen, her views shed light on her individual journey of getting the movie done. In fact, for a first-timer like her, this has been more about trusting oneself and embracing opportunities that initially seemed impossible.
Final Take
The points brought out by Catherine Laga'aia show how the Moana movie has changed her life outside acting. Through believing in herself and being ready to seize new chances, she has learned things that will possibly change the course of her future life through the live-action movie produced by Disney.